Denis Karasev Movies

This entertaining satire by director Luigi Zampa, known for his comedic touch, is set in the years before World War II when fascism was on the rise in Italy. Taking up the theme found in Nikolai Gogol's well-known comedy of mistaken identity The Inspector General, this tale has a simple insurance salesman being mistaken for a bigshot fascist arriving in a small town to check out its political leanings. Naturally, the townsfolk react according to who they think he is. That reaction varies depending on whether they happen to be connected to the opposition, or just want to keep their jobs and stay on top of things, as in the case of the mayor. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Work is hard to find in Moscow these days, and although native Muscovites are probably reluctant to do the kinds of toilet-swabbing low-level labor that migrants into the town happily do, the natives still resent the fact that immigrants are (at least theoretically) taking jobs away from locals. This is a familiar theme, even in the U.S. In the story, Pavel and Pavlina, two ethnic Russians from the rural areas of former Soviet states, have separately come to Moscow seeking exactly that sort of work. Pavel has a tiny room somewhere, Pavlina is homeless. They meet during an altercation at a bar during which they are picked up by the police. After their release, she spends the night in Pavel's room. Their goal is to avoid both the police and the criminal gangs who, between them, govern so much of the life in that difficult city. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide